The office of Secretary of State for Northern Ireland was created after the Northern Ireland government (at Stormont) was first suspended and then abolished following widespread civil strife. The British government was increasingly concerned that Stormont was losing control of the situation. On 30 March 1972, direct rule from Westminster was introduced.[6] The Secretary of State filled three roles which existed under the previous Stormont regime:[7]

Following the Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement) on 10 April 1998, devolution returned to Northern Ireland on 2 December 1999. This removed many of the duties of the Secretary of State and his Northern Ireland Office colleagues and devolved them to locally elected politicians, constituting the Northern Ireland Executive.

The devolved administration was suspended several times (especially between 15 October 2002 and 8 May 2007) because the Ulster Unionist Party and Democratic Unionist Party were uncomfortable being in government with Sinn Féin when the Provisional Irish Republican Army had failed to decommission its arms fully and continued its criminal activities. On each of these occasions, the responsibilities of the ministers in the Executive then returned to the Secretary of State and his ministers. During these periods, in addition to administration of the region, the Secretary of State was also heavily involved in the negotiations with all parties to restore devolved government.

Power was again devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly on 8 May 2007. The Secretary of State retained responsibility for policing and justice until most of those powers were devolved on 12 April 2010.[8]

1.
Her Majesty's Government
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Her Majestys Government, commonly referred to as the UK government or British government, is the central government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The government is led by the Prime Minister, who all the remaining ministers. The prime minister and the other most senior ministers belong to the supreme decision-making committee, the government ministers all sit in Parliament, and are accountable to it. After an election, the monarch selects as prime minister the leader of the party most likely to command a majority of MPs in the House of Commons. Under the uncodified British constitution, executive authority lies with the monarch, although this authority is exercised only by, or on the advice of, the prime minister, the Cabinet members advise the monarch as members of the Privy Council. They also exercise power directly as leaders of the Government Departments, the current prime minister is Theresa May, who took office on 13 July 2016. She is the leader of the Conservative Party, which won a majority of seats in the House of Commons in the election on 7 May 2015. Prior to this, Cameron and the Conservatives led a government from 2010 to 2015 with the Liberal Democrats. A key principle of the British Constitution is that the government is responsible to Parliament, Britain is a constitutional monarchy in which the reigning monarch does not make any open political decisions. All political decisions are taken by the government and Parliament and this constitutional state of affairs is the result of a long history of constraining and reducing the political power of the monarch, beginning with the Magna Carta in 1215. Parliament is split into two houses, the House of Lords and the House of Commons, the House of Commons is the lower house and is the more powerful. The House of Lords is the house and although it can vote to amend proposed laws. Parliamentary time is essential for bills to be passed into law, Ministers of the Crown are responsible to the House in which they sit, they make statements in that House and take questions from members of that House. For most senior ministers this is usually the elected House of Commons rather than the House of Lords, since the start of Edward VIIs reign, in 1901, the prime minister has always been an elected member of Parliament and therefore directly accountable to the House of Commons. Under the British system the government is required by convention and for reasons to maintain the confidence of the House of Commons. It requires the support of the House of Commons for the maintenance of supply, by convention if a government loses the confidence of the House of Commons it must either resign or a General Election is held. The support of the Lords, while useful to the government in getting its legislation passed without delay, is not vital, a government is not required to resign even if it loses the confidence of the Lords and is defeated in key votes in that House. The House of Commons is thus the Responsible house, the prime minister is held to account during Prime Ministers Question Time which provides an opportunity for MPs from all parties to question the PM on any subject

2.
Karen Bradley
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Karen Anne Bradley PC MP is a British Conservative Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Staffordshire Moorlands, elected at the 2010 general election. In Theresa Mays first cabinet reshuffle in July 2016, Bradley became Secretary of State for Culture, Media, previously, since February 2014, she had served as a junior Home Office minister. Prior to that, she had served in the Government Whips Office since September 2012, initially as an Assistant Government Whip and, after a subsequent promotion in 2013, as a Government Whip. In 1991 she joined Deloitte & Touche as a tax manager, in 2004 she set up business as a fiscal and economic consultant before rejoining KPMG in 2007, where she remained until her election to the House of Commons. She contested Manchester Withington at the 2005 general election, coming third and she was a member of the Conservative Partys A-List and was selected for Staffordshire Moorlands in July 2006. After her election to Parliament in 2010, Karen Bradley was a member of the Work and Pensions Select Committee from 2010 and she relinquished these positions on her appointment to the Government Whips Office in September 2012. In February 2014, she was promoted to the Home Office as a junior minister, in July 2016 she was appointed as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in Theresa Mays first cabinet. She is married with two sons and she is a fan of Manchester City football club. Karenbradley. co. uk — Bradleys website Bradley on TheyWorkForYou

3.
Northern Ireland Office
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The Northern Ireland Office is a UK government department responsible for Northern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and is based at Stormont House in Belfast and 1 Horse Guards Road in London, before the partition, Ireland was governed through the Dublin Castle administration and the Home Office was also responsible for Irish affairs. From 1924 to 1972, Northern Ireland affairs were handled by the Northern Ireland Department of the Home Office, in August 1969, for example, Home Secretary James Callaghan approved the sending of British Army soldiers to Northern Ireland. As the Troubles worsened, the UK Government was increasingly concerned that the Northern Ireland Government was losing control of the situation, on 24 March 1972, it announced that direct rule from Westminster would be introduced. This took effect on 30 March 1972, the formation of the NIO put Northern Ireland on the same level as Scotland and Wales, where the Scottish Office and Welsh Office were established in 1885 and 1965 respectively. The NIO assumed policing and justice powers from the Ministry of Home Affairs, NIO junior ministers were placed in charge of other Northern Ireland Civil Service departments. Direct rule was seen as a measure, with a power-sharing devolution preferred as the solution. Under the Northern Ireland Act 1972, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland replaced the Governor of Northern Ireland, the Sunningdale Agreement in 1973 resulted in a brief, power-sharing Northern Ireland Executive, which was ended by the Ulster Workers Council strike on 28 May 1974. The Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention and Northern Ireland Assembly were unsuccessful in restoring devolved government, after the Anglo-Irish Agreement on 15 November 1985, the UK Government and Irish Government co-operated more closely on security and political matters. Following the Belfast Agreement on 10 April 1998, devolution returned to Northern Ireland on 2 December 1999, the Northern Ireland Executive was suspended on 15 October 2002 and direct rule returned until devolution was restored on 8 May 2007. The Department of Justice is now responsible for those matters and this transfer of power resulted in a smaller Northern Ireland Office, comparable to the Scotland Office and Wales Office. The NIO ministers are as follows, As Attorney General for England and Wales, The Rt Hon. Jeremy Wright MP is Advocate General for Northern Ireland, the NIOs Director General was Sir Julian King KCVO CMG. He was appointed in November 2011 and held the position until 2014 and he chaired the NIO Management Board and is the departments Accounting Officer. Northern Ireland Affairs Committee Northern Ireland Assembly Northern Ireland Executive Department of Justice Northern Ireland Office

4.
Official residence
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An official residence is the residence at which a nations head of state, head of government, governor or other senior figure officially resides. It may or may not be the location where the individual conducts work-related functions or lives. This has occurred in the 21st century in Detroit and New York City, in the case of Denver, no mayor has ever lived in the official residence, the city instead makes it available to certain non-profit groups for special functions. The President uses own private residence, - Its address is 1 Cheongwadae-ro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea. It is located next to Gyeongbokgung, the palace during the Joseon Dynasty. Cheong Nam Dae - Cheong Nam Dae used to be one of the two residences for the President of Republic of Korea. It was returned to public in 2003, - It is located in Cheongwon-gun, North Chungcheong Province. Cheong Hae Dae - Cheong Hae Dae used to be one of the two residences for the President of Republic of Korea. Although the president no longer uses this facility this compound is still under the administration of the Republic of Korea Navy, - It is located on one of the islands of Geoje-shi, South Gyeongsang Province. Chongri Gonggwan - This is the residence for the Prime Minister of Republic of Korea. The Prime Minister, however, does not work here, - Its address is 111-2 Samcheongdong-gil, Jongro-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea. It is located close to Cheong Wa Dae, gukhoeuijang Gonggwan - This is the official residence for the Speaker of the National Assembly of Republic of Korea. The Speaker, also, does not work here, - It is located in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where many foreign missions to Korea are located. Daebeobwonjang Gonggwan - This is the residence for the Chief Justice of Republic of Korea. The Chief Justice, also, does not work here, - It is also located in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Most ministers of state and heads of administrative regions also have official residences, although they are not listed here. S

5.
Hillsborough Castle
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Hillsborough Castle is an official government residence in Northern Ireland. From 1924 until the abolition in 1973, it was the official residence of the Governor of Northern Ireland. Since April 2014, it has been managed by Historic Royal Palaces, Hillsborough Castle, which is located in the village of Hillsborough in north-west County Down, is not a true castle. In buying it, the government solved a practical problem, however, that office was abolished in a law change following the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, which in effect aborted Southern Ireland and established the Irish Free State. A new office for Northern Ireland alone was created, that of Governor of Northern Ireland, as the Viceregal Lodge in Dublin became unavailable, physically and politically, a new residence was needed. Hillsborough Castle, though outside the largest city of Northern Ireland, after some renovations, the first governor, The 3rd Duke of Abercorn, moved in during 1925. Upon becoming the residence of the governor, the building was officially renamed Government House. Those two posts were in effect combined to create the office of Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. As the Queens representative, the Secretary of State resides in Hillsborough Castle – as do junior ministers, though members of the Royal Family, when visiting Northern Ireland, stay there also. Queen Elizabeth and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh stayed in Hillsborough Castle during their visit to Northern Ireland as part of the Golden Jubilee tour of the United Kingdom in 2002. In 2014 the Prince of Wales held an investiture at Hillsborough Castle, Hillsborough Castle became the controversial location of the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement on November 15th,1985. Irish Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald believed that signing the Agreement in Hillsborough Castle would mollify unionist opposition to the Agreement somewhat, however, many unionists took offence at the signing of the Agreement in the Throne Room of the castle, igniting their opposition further. Many of the talks leading up to the signing of the Belfast Agreement took place in the secretariat attached to the castle. Leaders such as Gerry Adams, John Hume, David Trimble and, on occasion, mo Mowlam broke new ground when she opened the extensive grounds of the castle to the public. Previous Secretaries of State had not done so because of the fear of Provisional IRA attack, the security impact on the castle can be seen in the presence of bullet-proof glass in plastic frames in front of the Georgian windows at the public front of the building. The then President of the United States, George W. Bush, Northern Ireland Office Stormont House Castles in Northern Ireland Historic Royal Palaces - Hillsborough Castle Hillsborough Castle – Northern Ireland Office website

6.
Elizabeth II
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Elizabeth II has been Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand since 6 February 1952. Elizabeth was born in London as the eldest child of the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and her father acceded to the throne on the abdication of his brother Edward VIII in 1936, from which time she was the heir presumptive. She began to undertake duties during the Second World War. Elizabeths many historic visits and meetings include a visit to the Republic of Ireland. She has seen major changes, such as devolution in the United Kingdom, Canadian patriation. She has reigned through various wars and conflicts involving many of her realms and she is the worlds oldest reigning monarch as well as Britains longest-lived. In October 2016, she became the longest currently reigning monarch, in 2017 she became the first British monarch to commemorate a Sapphire Jubilee. Elizabeth has occasionally faced republican sentiments and press criticism of the family, however, support for the monarchy remains high. Elizabeth was born at 02,40 on 21 April 1926, during the reign of her paternal grandfather and her father, Prince Albert, Duke of York, was the second son of the King. Her mother, Elizabeth, Duchess of York, was the youngest daughter of Scottish aristocrat Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and she was delivered by Caesarean section at her maternal grandfathers London house,17 Bruton Street, Mayfair. Elizabeths only sibling, Princess Margaret, was born in 1930, the two princesses were educated at home under the supervision of their mother and their governess, Marion Crawford, who was casually known as Crawfie. Lessons concentrated on history, language, literature and music, Crawford published a biography of Elizabeth and Margarets childhood years entitled The Little Princesses in 1950, much to the dismay of the royal family. The book describes Elizabeths love of horses and dogs, her orderliness, others echoed such observations, Winston Churchill described Elizabeth when she was two as a character. She has an air of authority and reflectiveness astonishing in an infant and her cousin Margaret Rhodes described her as a jolly little girl, but fundamentally sensible and well-behaved. During her grandfathers reign, Elizabeth was third in the line of succession to the throne, behind her uncle Edward, Prince of Wales, and her father, the Duke of York. Although her birth generated public interest, she was not expected to become queen, many people believed that he would marry and have children of his own. When her grandfather died in 1936 and her uncle succeeded as Edward VIII, she became second-in-line to the throne, later that year, Edward abdicated, after his proposed marriage to divorced socialite Wallis Simpson provoked a constitutional crisis. Consequently, Elizabeths father became king, and she became heir presumptive, if her parents had had a later son, she would have lost her position as first-in-line, as her brother would have been heir apparent and above her in the line of succession

7.
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
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Lord Lieutenant was the title of the chief governor of Ireland from the Williamite Wars of 1690 till the Partition of Ireland in 1922. This spanned the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain, the office, under its various names, was often more generally known as the viceroy, from the French vice roi or deputy king, and his wife was known as the vicereine. The government of Ireland in practice was usually in the hands of the Lord Deputy up to the 17th century, although in the Middle Ages some Lords Deputy were Irish noblemen, only men from Great Britain, usually peers, were appointed to the office of Lord Lieutenant. The Kings representative possessed a number of overlapping roles and he was the representative of the King, the head of the executive in Ireland, a member of the English or British Cabinet, the font of mercy, justice and patronage, commander-in-chief in Ireland. His Government exercised effective control of parliament through the exercise of the powers of patronage, namely the awarding of peerages, baronetcies. Critics accused successive viceroys of using their power as a corrupt means of controlling parliament. On one day in July 1777, Lord Buckinghamshire as Lord Lieutenant promoted 5 viscounts to earls,7 barons to viscounts, under-Secretary for Ireland, The head of the civil service in Ireland. Lord Justices, Three office-holders who acted in the Lord Lieutenants stead during his absence, the Lord Justices were before 1800 the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, the Speaker of the Irish House of Commons, and the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh as Primate of All Ireland. Lords Lieutenant were appointed for no set term but served for His/Her Majestys pleasure, in reality that meant for as long as wished by the British Government. Where a ministry fell, the Lord Lieutenant was usually replaced by a supporter of the new ministry, until the 16th century, Irish or Anglo-Irish noblemen such as the 8th Earl of Kildare and the 9th Earl of Kildare traditionally held the post of Justiciar or Lord Deputy. Following the plantations, however, noblemen from Great Britain were given the post, the last Irish Catholic to hold the position was Lord Tyrconnell from 1685–91, during the brief Catholic Ascendancy in the reign of James II that was ended by the Williamite war in Ireland. Until 1767 none of the latter lived full-time in Ireland, instead they resided in Ireland during meetings of the Irish Parliament. However the British cabinet decided in 1765 that full-time residency should be required to enable the Lord Lieutenant to keep a eye on public affairs in Ireland. The office was restricted to members of the Anglican faith, the first Catholic appointed to the post since the reign of the Catholic King James II was in fact the last viceroy, Lord FitzAlan of Derwent, in April 1921. His appointment was possible because the Government of Ireland Act 1920 ended the prohibition on Catholics being appointed to the position, FitzAlan was also the only Lord Lieutenant of Ireland ever to hold office when the former Ireland was partitioned into Southern Ireland and Northern Ireland. The post ebbed and flowed in importance, being used on occasion as a form of exile for prominent British politicians who had fallen foul of the Court of St. Jamess or Westminster, on other occasions it was a stepping stone to a future career. Two Lords Lieutenant, Lord Hartington and the Duke of Portland, instead it was the Chief Secretary for Ireland who became central, with he, not the Lord Lieutenant, sitting on occasion in the British cabinet. The official residence of the Lord Lieutenant was the Viceregal Apartments in Dublin Castle, the Geraldine Lords Deputy, the 8th Earl of Kildare and the 9th Earl of Kildare, being native Irish, both lived in, among other locations, their castle in Maynooth, County Kildare

8.
Governor of Northern Ireland
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The Governor of Northern Ireland was the principal officer and representative in Northern Ireland of the British monarch. The office was established on 9 December 1922 and abolished on 18 July 1973, the Governor had possession of the Great Seal of Northern Ireland. The Governor was the successor to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in Northern Ireland, the office of the Governor was abolished on 18 July 1973 under Section 32 of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, an office that had been created in 1972. The official residence of the Governor of Northern Ireland was Hillsborough Castle in County Down, following refurbishment of the Castle, the Duke of Abercorn took up residence in 1925. It remained the residence until the abolition of the office of Governor in 1973. Lord Lieutenant of Ireland Governor-General of the Irish Free State

9.
William Whitelaw
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Whitelaw was born at the family estate, Monklaw, at Nairn, in northeast Scotland. He never knew his father, William Alexander Whitelaw, a member of a Scottish landed gentry family and his grandmother Dorothy was the niece of the former Prime Minister and author Benjamin Disraeli. Whitelaw was educated first at Wixenford School, Wokingham, before passing the exam to Winchester College. From there he went up to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he won a blue for golf and he commanded Churchill tanks in Normandy during the Second World War and during Operation Bluecoat in late July 1944. His was the first Allied unit to encounter German Jagdpanther tank destroyers and he was awarded the Military Cross for his actions at Caumont, a photograph of Field-Marshal Bernard Montgomery pinning the medal to his chest appears in his memoirs. After the end of the war in Europe, Whitelaws unit was to have part in the invasion of Japan. Instead he was posted to Palestine, before leaving the army in 1946 to take care of the estates of Gartshore and Woodhall in Lanarkshire. In 1964 Douglas-Home appointed him as Opposition Chief Whip and he was sworn of the Privy Council in January 1967. When the Conservatives returned to power in 1970 under Edward Heath, Whitelaw was made Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons, with a seat in the cabinet. He became the first Secretary of State for Northern Ireland after the imposition of rule in March 1972. During his time, in Northern Ireland he introduced Special Category Status for paramilitary prisoners and he attempted to negotiate with the Provisional Irish Republican Army with the then PIRA Chief of Staff Seán MacStiofáin in July 1972. The talks ended in an agreement to change from a truce, to an open-ended truce. As a briefing for prime minister Edward Heath later noted, Whitelaw found the experience of meeting and talking to Mr MacStíofáin very unpleasant, MacStiofáin in his memoir, complimented Whitelaw, saying he was the only Englishman ever to pronounce his name in Irish correctly. He left Northern Ireland in 1973 to become Secretary of State for Employment shortly before the Sunningdale Agreement was reached, the dispute was followed by the Conservative party losing the February 1974 general election. Also in 1974, Whitelaw became a Companion of Honour, soon after Harold Wilsons Labour Party returned to government, Heath appointed Whitelaw as Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of the Conservative Party. Whitelaw loyally refused to run against Heath, however, and to widespread surprise, Whitelaw stood in his place and lost convincingly, against Thatcher in the second round. The vote polarised along right-left lines, with in addition the region, experience, Whitelaw managed to maintain his position as Deputy Leader until the 1979 general election, when he was appointed Home Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister in Thatchers new government. Thatcher was a fan of Whitelaws, and appointed him Home Secretary in her first Cabinet

10.
Northern Ireland
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Northern Ireland is a constituent unit of the United Kingdom in the north-east of Ireland. It is variously described as a country, province, region, or part of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland shares a border to the south and west with the Republic of Ireland. In 2011, its population was 1,810,863, constituting about 30% of the total population. Northern Ireland was created in 1921, when Ireland was partitioned between Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland by an act of the British parliament, Northern Ireland has historically been the most industrialised region of Ireland. After declining as a result of the political and social turmoil of the Troubles, its economy has grown significantly since the late 1990s. Unemployment in Northern Ireland peaked at 17. 2% in 1986, dropping to 6. 1% for June–August 2014,58. 2% of those unemployed had been unemployed for over a year. Prominent artists and sports persons from Northern Ireland include Van Morrison, Rory McIlroy, Joey Dunlop, Wayne McCullough, some people from Northern Ireland prefer to identify as Irish while others prefer to identify as British. Cultural links between Northern Ireland, the rest of Ireland, and the rest of the UK are complex, in many sports, the island of Ireland fields a single team, a notable exception being association football. Northern Ireland competes separately at the Commonwealth Games, and people from Northern Ireland may compete for either Great Britain or Ireland at the Olympic Games. The region that is now Northern Ireland was the bedrock of the Irish war of resistance against English programmes of colonialism in the late 16th century, the English-controlled Kingdom of Ireland had been declared by the English king Henry VIII in 1542, but Irish resistance made English control fragmentary. Victories by English forces in war and further Protestant victories in the Williamite War in Ireland toward the close of the 17th century solidified Anglican rule in Ireland. In Northern Ireland, the victories of the Siege of Derry and their intention was to materially disadvantage the Catholic community and, to a lesser extent, the Presbyterian community. In the context of open institutional discrimination, the 18th century saw secret, militant societies develop in communities in the region and act on sectarian tensions in violent attacks. Following this, in an attempt to quell sectarianism and force the removal of discriminatory laws, the new state, formed in 1801, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, was governed from a single government and parliament based in London. Between 1717 and 1775 some 250,000 people from Ulster emigrated to the British North American colonies and it is estimated that there are more than 27 million Scotch-Irish Americans now living in the US. By the close of the century, autonomy for Ireland within the United Kingdom, in 1912, after decades of obstruction from the House of Lords, Home Rule became a near-certainty. A clash between the House of Commons and House of Lords over a controversial budget produced the Parliament Act 1911, which enabled the veto of the Lords to be overturned. The House of Lords veto had been the unionists main guarantee that Home Rule would not be enacted, in 1914, they smuggled thousands of rifles and rounds of ammunition from Imperial Germany for use by the Ulster Volunteers, a paramilitary organisation opposed to the implementation of Home Rule

11.
Politics of Northern Ireland
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Since 1998, Northern Ireland has devolved government within the United Kingdom. The government and Parliament of the United Kingdom are responsible for reserved and excepted matters, reserved matters are a list of policy area, which the Westminster Parliament may devolve to the Northern Ireland Assembly at some time in future. Excepted matters are never expected to be considered for devolution, on all other matters, the Northern Ireland Executive together with the 108-member Northern Ireland Assembly may legislate and govern for Northern Ireland. Elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly are by single transferable vote with five elected from 18 parliamentary constituencies. Eighteen representatives to the house of the British parliament are elected from the same constituencies using the first-past-the-post system. However, not all of these take their seats, the four Sinn Féin MPs refuse to take the required oath to serve Queen Elizabeth II. In addition, the house of the UKs parliament, the House of Lords. Northern Ireland itself forms a constituency for elections to the European Union. The Northern Ireland Office represents the British government in Northern Ireland on reserved matters, the Government of the Republic of Ireland also has the right to put forward views and proposals on non-devolved matters in relation to Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Office is led by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, much of the population of Northern Ireland identifies with one of two different ideologies, unionism and Irish nationalism. Unionists are predominantly Ulster Protestant, most of whom belong to the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, however, not all Catholics support nationalism, and not all Protestants support unionism. The proportion of the population practising their religious beliefs has fallen dramatically in recent decades, particularly among Catholics and this has not resulted in a weakening of communal feeling. Northern Ireland currently has the political representation, the Northern Ireland Assembly has 90 Members of the Legislative Assembly. 18 seats in the United Kingdom House of Commons there are several unionists and it has also demanded that all Northern Ireland Members of the European Parliament and MPs be allowed speaking rights in the lower house of the parliament of the Republic of Ireland, Dáil Éireann. It was given to understand that the Irish government accepted this and had plans to introduce legislation in the autumn of 2005, the Social Democratic and Labour Party backed the move. Nonetheless on 22 November 2007, representatives from both Sinn Féin and the SDLP, attended a meeting of the Oireachtas committee reviewing the workings of the Good Friday Agreement. The 18 Northern Ireland MPs can take part in this committees debates, until 1972 the UUPs members of the British House of Commons took the Conservative Party whip, but currently sit as a party in their own right. The UUPs member of the European Parliament belongs to the European Conservatives, the DUP are a more complex mixture than the other major parties, combining support from rural evangelicals and urban, secular, working class voters

12.
Northern Ireland Executive
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The Northern Ireland Executive is the devolved government of Northern Ireland, an administrative branch of the legislature Northern Ireland Assembly. It is answerable to the Assembly and was established according to the terms of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, the executive is referred to in the legislation as the Executive Committee of the Assembly and is an example of a consociationalist government. The Northern Ireland Executive consists of the First Minister and deputy First Minister and various ministers with individual portfolios, the main Assembly parties appoint most ministers in the executive, except for the Minister of Justice who is elected by a cross-community vote. It is one of three devolved governments in the United Kingdom, the others being the Scottish and Welsh Governments, with the exception of justice, the number of ministries to which each party is entitled is determined by the DHondt system. In effect, major parties cannot be excluded from participation in government, the form of government is therefore known as mandatory coalition as opposed to voluntary coalition where parties negotiate an agreement to share power. The Executive cannot function if either of the two largest parties refuse to part, as these parties are allocated the First Minister. However, other parties are not required to enter the Executive even if they are entitled to do so, instead, devolution took place on 12 April 2010. Under DHondt, the SDLP would have been entitled to the ministerial seat on the revised Executive created by the devolution of policing. Accordingly, both the UUP and SDLP protested that Alliance was not entitled, under the rules of the Good Friday Agreement, to fill the portfolio, however, Alliance leader David Ford was elected Minister with the support of the DUP and Sinn Féin. On 26 August 2015, the UUP announced it would withdraw from the Executive and form an opposition after all, on 25 May 2016 a new executive was announced. For the first time in the history, parties that were entitled to ministries chose instead to go into opposition following a recent bill providing parties with this choice. This meant that the executive was formed only by the two parties, the DUP and Sinn Féin, and thus giving them more seats in the Executive. The Executive is co-chaired by the First Minister and deputy First Minister, Executive meetings are normally held fortnightly, compared to weekly meetings of the British Cabinet and Irish Government. The Ministerial Code allows any three ministers to request a cross-community vote, the quorum for voting is seven ministers. At present, the Executive consists of six unionist, five nationalist, the current system of devolution has succeeded long periods of direct rule, when the Northern Ireland Civil Service had a considerable influence on government policy. The legislation which established new departments in 1999 affirmed that the functions of a department shall at all times be exercised subject to the direction, Ministerial powers can be conferred by an Act of the Assembly and ministers can also exercise executive powers which are vested in the Crown. Ministerial decisions can be challenged by a petition of 30 Northern Ireland Assembly members and this action can be taken for alleged breaches of the Ministerial Code and on matters of public importance. The Speaker of the Assembly must consult political party leaders in the Assembly before deciding whether the subject is a matter of public importance, successful petitions will then be considered by the Executive

13.
First Minister and deputy First Minister
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The First Minister and deputy First Minister are the joint heads of the Northern Ireland Executive and have overall responsibility for the running of the Executive Office. The two positions have the same power, despite the name, the deputy First Minister is not subordinate to the First Minister. The First Minister and deputy First Minister share equal responsibilities within government, the First Minister is, though, the first to greet official visitors to Northern Ireland and shares the same title as their counterparts in Scotland and Wales. The First Minister and deputy First Minister agree the agenda of Executive meetings and they are jointly accountable to the First Minister and deputy First Minister. The incumbent junior ministers are Jonathan Bell and Jennifer McCann, as originally established under the Northern Ireland Act 1998, the First Minister was elected by the Assembly on a joint ticket with the deputy First Minister through a cross-community vote. It was created to enable the leaders of the main unionist and nationalist parties to work together, for the purposes of a cross-community vote, MLAs were designated as unionist, nationalist or other. This procedure was used on 2 December 1999 to elect David Trimble, following several suspensions of the Northern Ireland Executive, Trimble was not re-elected on 2 November 2001 due to unionist opposition. This procedure, which removed the need for a joint ticket between the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin, was used to appoint Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness on 8 May 2007. It was again used to appoint Peter Robinson alongside Martin McGuinness on 5 June 2008 and again on 12 May 2011, the Minister of Justice is now the only Northern Ireland Executive Minister elected on a cross-community vote. All other ministers are party appointees, the second position has been spelt Deputy or deputy First Minister, due to differing preferences by civil servants, although the spelling of the title has no constitutional consequences in practice. The first two holders of the office, Seamus Mallon and Mark Durkan, were referred to during their periods of office as Deputy First Minister, with a capital D. This version was adopted in 1999 for the logo of the OFMDFM. Speaker William Hay ordered the change and the capital D was dropped from Hansard references, however, the Assembly committee that scrutinises their work is now listed as the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister. Ultimately it was decided that McGuinness should be the deputy First Minister, on 1 July 1998, David Trimble and Seamus Mallon were nominated and elected First Minister and Deputy First Minister designates respectively. Eventually, on 2 December 1999, power was devolved and Trimble, on 6 November 2001, Mark Durkan became Deputy First Minister after Seamus Mallons retirement. The Executive and the two positions were suspended between 15 October 2002 and 8 May 2007 following a breakdown in trust between the parties, Paisley announced his intention to resign on 4 March 2008. His deputy as DUP leader, Peter Robinson was ratified as Democratic Unionist Party leader designate on 17 April 2008, as leader-designate of the largest designated unionist party in the Northern Ireland Assembly he was also in effect the First Minister designate and became First Minister on 5 June 2008. Arlene Foster succeeded Peter Robinson as DUP leader on 18 December 2015, and as First Minister on 11 January 2016

14.
Northern Ireland Civil Service
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The Northern Ireland Civil Service, is the permanent bureaucracy of employees that supports the Northern Ireland Executive, the devolved government of Northern Ireland. The NICS is one of three services in the United Kingdom, the others being the Home Civil Service and HM Diplomatic Service. The heads of these services are members of the Permanent Secretaries Management Group, Northern Ireland was established by the Government of Ireland Act 1920 and the first devolved Parliament of Northern Ireland took office on 7 June 1921. In 1965, that department was split between the Ministry of Health and Social Services and the new Ministry of Development, a further Ministry of Community Relations was established in 1969, in response to the early stages of the Troubles. The Parliament of Northern Ireland was dissolved on 30 March 1972, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland assumed responsibility for government and was assisted by a new Northern Ireland Office. The NIO absorbed the Ministry of Home Affairs and took responsibility for security, justice. Following the Sunningdale Agreement, a power-sharing Northern Ireland Executive briefly held office between 1 January 1974 and 28 May 1974, the Troubles continued in the absence of a political settlement. Between May 1974 and December 1999, departments were led politically by junior ministers in the Northern Ireland Office, UK Governments alternated between the Conservative and Labour parties, neither of which included members of parliament from Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Civil Service, uniquely in the British Isles, the Executive was suspended several times due to political disputes and each suspension resulted in the return of direct rule. Devolution was restored on 8 May 2007 and has continued without interruption since then, devolution resulted in an increase in the number of Civil Service departments, accountable to a cross-community Executive of 11 ministers. The Northern Ireland Office continues in operation, representing the interests of the United Kingdom Government in Northern Ireland, following the Fresh Start Agreement, the parties of Northern Ireland agreed that the number of Executive departments should be reduced. The public sector constituted 31. 3% of the regions workforce, the PSMG is in charge of both the Northern Ireland Civil Service and Her Majestys Civil Service. The group is chaired by Head of the Home Civil Service, the Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, the group also consists of all first permanent secretaries and other selected permanent secretaries and directors general. The Civil Service Commissioners for Northern Ireland are not civil servants and are independent of the Executive and their main functions are the same as the Civil Service Commissioners of Her Majestys Home Civil Service

15.
Northern Ireland Assembly
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The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It sits at Parliament Buildings at Stormont in Belfast, the Assembly is one of two mutually inter-dependent institutions created under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, the other being the North/South Ministerial Council with the Republic of Ireland. The Agreement aimed at bringing an end to Northern Irelands violent 30-year Troubles, the Assembly is a unicameral, democratically elected body comprising 90 members known as Members of the Legislative Assembly, or MLAs. Members are elected under the single transferable vote form of proportional representation, the Assembly has been suspended on several occasions, the longest suspension being from 14 October 2002 until 7 May 2007. When the Assembly was suspended, its powers reverted to the Northern Ireland Office, powers in relation to policing and justice were transferred to the Assembly on 12 April 2010. The third assembly was dissolved on 24 March 2011 in preparation for the elections to be held on Thursday 5 May 2011 and this was the first assembly since the Good Friday Agreement to complete a full term. This was followed by a fourth term. After the May 2016 elections, the Assembly convened for a fifth term and that assembly dissolved on 26 January 2017, and a fresh election for a reduced Assembly was held on 2 March 2017. The Parliament was suspended on 30 March 1972 and formally abolished in 1973 under the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973, shortly after this first parliament was abolished, attempts began to restore devolution on a new basis that would see power shared between Irish nationalists and unionists. To this end a new parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly, was established in 1973, however, this body was brought down by the Ulster Workers Council strike and was abolished in 1974. It received little support from Irish nationalists and was dissolved in 1986. The current incarnation of the Northern Ireland Assembly was first elected on 25 June 1998, however, it only existed in shadow form until 2 December 1999 when full powers were devolved to the Assembly. On 8 December 2005, three Belfast men at the centre of the alleged IRA spying incident were acquitted of all charges, the prosecution offered no evidence in the public interest. Afterwards Denis Donaldson, one of those arrested, said that the charges should never have been brought as the action was political. On 17 December 2005, Donaldson publicly confirmed that he had been a spy for British intelligence since the early 1980s, mr Donaldson was killed on 4 April 2006 by the Real IRA. Eileen Bell was appointed by the Secretary of State Peter Hain to be the Speaker of the Assembly, with Francie Molloy, the Northern Ireland Act 2006 repealed the Northern Ireland Act 2006 and thus disbanded the Assembly. The Northern Ireland Act 2006 provided for a Transitional Assembly to take part in preparations for the restoration of devolved government in Northern Ireland, a person who was a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly was also a member of the Transitional Assembly

16.
Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly
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The Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly is the presiding officer of the Northern Ireland Assembly, elected on a cross-community vote by the Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly. A Principal Deputy Speaker and two Deputy Speakers are elected to fulfil the role. The office of Speaker is currently held by DUP MLA, Robin Newton, the Office of the Speaker is located in Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast. The Speaker is also the Chairman of the Assembly Commission, the body corporate of the Assembly, the first person to hold the position was Lord Alderdice, appointed by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in 1998. Prior to devolution in December 1999 the position was referred to as the Initial Presiding Officer, under the Northern Ireland Act 2006 she was appointed Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly on 8 May 2007. One of the first items of business for the Northern Ireland Assembly on 8 May 2007 was to elect a new Speaker from the MLAs elected in March 2007, the only nominee was William Hay, DUP member for Foyle and he was elected unopposed. In May 2011 the new position of Principal Deputy Speaker was created, sinn Féin deputy speaker Francie Molloy was subsequently elected to the new position in June 2011. During the first meeting of a new Assembly a Speaker is elected, the oldest Member of the Assembly who is not seeking the appointment oversees the election as Acting Speaker. Nominees are then put forward, seconded and accepted by the nominee, a vote is then taken which must achieve the support of both sides of the house. A successful nominee is then deemed elected as Speaker and takes the chair, upon election the Speaker must relinquish all party political affiliations. The newly or re-elected speaker then oversees the selection of three Deputy Speakers

17.
Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
–
The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom is the supreme court in all matters under English and Welsh law, Northern Ireland law and Scottish civil law. It is the court of last resort and the highest appellate court in the United Kingdom, the Supreme Court was established by Part 3 of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and started work on 1 October 2009. Its jurisdiction over devolution matters had previously exercised by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Because of the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty, the Supreme Court is much more limited in its powers of review than the constitutional or supreme courts of some other countries. It cannot overturn any primary legislation made by Parliament, however, it can overturn secondary legislation if, for example, that legislation is found to be ultra vires to the powers in primary legislation allowing it to be made. Such a declaration can apply to primary or secondary legislation, the legislation is not overturned by the declaration, and neither Parliament nor the government is required to agree with any such declaration. The current President of the Supreme Court is Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, the Supreme Courts focus is on cases that raise points of law of general public importance. The Supreme Court also determines devolution issues, ordinarily, all twelve justices do not all hear every case. Typically a case is heard by a panel of five justices, the justices are also members of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council and spend some of their time in that capacity. The creation of a Supreme Court for the United Kingdom was first mooted in a paper published by the Department of Constitutional Affairs in July 2003. Space within the House of Lords was at a constant premium, the main argument against a new Supreme Court was that the previous system had worked well and kept costs down. Reformers expressed concern that this second main example of a mixture of the legislative, judicial, officials who make or execute laws have an interest in court cases that put those laws to the test. When the state invests judicial authority in those officials or even their colleagues, it puts the independence. Lord Phillips said such an outcome was a possibility, but was unlikely, the reforms were controversial and were brought forward with little consultation but were subsequently extensively debated in Parliament. During 2004, a committee of the House of Lords scrutinised the arguments for. The Government estimated the set-up cost of the Supreme Court at £56.9 million, the Supreme Court was established by Part 3 of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and started work on 1 October 2009. Its jurisdiction over devolution matters had previously held by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. The first case heard by the Supreme Court was HM Treasury v Ahmed, at issue was the extent to which Parliament has, by the United Nations Act 1946, delegated to the executive the power to legislate

18.
Courts of Northern Ireland
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The courts of Northern Ireland are the civil and criminal courts responsible for the administration of justice in Northern Ireland, they are constituted and governed by Northern Ireland law. The United Kingdom does not have a unified judicial system, England and Wales have one system, Scotland another. Additionally, the Military Court Service has jurisdiction over all members of the forces of the United Kingdom in relation to offences against military law. Diplock courts are common in Northern Ireland for crimes connected to terrorism, administration of the courts is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service. The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom was created by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and it took its duties up on 1 October 2009. It is the highest court of appeal in Northern Ireland, hearing appeals from all the courts of the United Kingdom. The Supreme Court has taken over the appellate jurisdiction formerly vested in the House of Lords, the Court of Judicature of Northern Ireland is constituted by the Judicature Act 1978. Until 1 October 2009 its name was the Supreme Court of Judicature, the Court of Judicature is the most important superior court of Northern Ireland. The Court of Appeal is the highest court specifically of Northern Ireland, Appeal from the Court of Appeal lies to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. The Court of Appeal hears appeals from the Crown Court, High Court, county courts, courts of summary jurisdiction, the High Court of Justice is, like its English equivalent, split into three divisions, Queens Bench Division, Family Division and Chancery Division. The High Court is located in the Royal Courts of Justice, the Crown Courts hear more serious criminal cases. These are indictable offences and either way offences which are committed for trial in the Crown Courts rather than the magistrates courts, the County Courts are the main civil courts. While higher-value cases are heard in the High Court, the County Courts hear a range of civil actions, consumer claims. The County Courts are called Family Care Centres when hearing proceedings brought under the Children Order 1995, there are seven County Court divisions in Northern Ireland. Below the High Court are several classes of courts, magistrates courts hear less-serious criminal cases and conduct preliminary hearings in more serious criminal cases. They are divided into 21 petty sessions districts, the Crown Court hears all serious criminal cases which are committed to trial. When sitting as family proceedings courts the magistrates courts hear proceedings brought under the Children Order 1995, additionally, there is the Enforcement of Judgments Office, and coroners courts, which investigate the circumstances of sudden, violent or unnatural deaths

19.
United Kingdom
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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country in western Europe. Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland, the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state‍—‌the Republic of Ireland. The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland, with an area of 242,500 square kilometres, the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th-largest in Europe. It is also the 21st-most populous country, with an estimated 65.1 million inhabitants, together, this makes it the fourth-most densely populated country in the European Union. The United Kingdom is a monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance. The monarch is Queen Elizabeth II, who has reigned since 6 February 1952, other major urban areas in the United Kingdom include the regions of Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester. The United Kingdom consists of four countries—England, Scotland, Wales, the last three have devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in their capitals, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, respectively. The relationships among the countries of the UK have changed over time, Wales was annexed by the Kingdom of England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. A treaty between England and Scotland resulted in 1707 in a unified Kingdom of Great Britain, which merged in 1801 with the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Five-sixths of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922, leaving the present formulation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, there are fourteen British Overseas Territories. These are the remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in the 1920s, British influence can be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies. The United Kingdom is a country and has the worlds fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP. The UK is considered to have an economy and is categorised as very high in the Human Development Index. It was the worlds first industrialised country and the worlds foremost power during the 19th, the UK remains a great power with considerable economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence internationally. It is a nuclear weapons state and its military expenditure ranks fourth or fifth in the world. The UK has been a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946 and it has been a leading member state of the EU and its predecessor, the European Economic Community, since 1973. However, on 23 June 2016, a referendum on the UKs membership of the EU resulted in a decision to leave. The Acts of Union 1800 united the Kingdom of Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have devolved self-government

20.
Government of the United Kingdom
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Her Majestys Government, commonly referred to as the UK government or British government, is the central government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The government is led by the Prime Minister, who all the remaining ministers. The prime minister and the other most senior ministers belong to the supreme decision-making committee, the government ministers all sit in Parliament, and are accountable to it. After an election, the monarch selects as prime minister the leader of the party most likely to command a majority of MPs in the House of Commons. Under the uncodified British constitution, executive authority lies with the monarch, although this authority is exercised only by, or on the advice of, the prime minister, the Cabinet members advise the monarch as members of the Privy Council. They also exercise power directly as leaders of the Government Departments, the current prime minister is Theresa May, who took office on 13 July 2016. She is the leader of the Conservative Party, which won a majority of seats in the House of Commons in the election on 7 May 2015. Prior to this, Cameron and the Conservatives led a government from 2010 to 2015 with the Liberal Democrats. A key principle of the British Constitution is that the government is responsible to Parliament, Britain is a constitutional monarchy in which the reigning monarch does not make any open political decisions. All political decisions are taken by the government and Parliament and this constitutional state of affairs is the result of a long history of constraining and reducing the political power of the monarch, beginning with the Magna Carta in 1215. Parliament is split into two houses, the House of Lords and the House of Commons, the House of Commons is the lower house and is the more powerful. The House of Lords is the house and although it can vote to amend proposed laws. Parliamentary time is essential for bills to be passed into law, Ministers of the Crown are responsible to the House in which they sit, they make statements in that House and take questions from members of that House. For most senior ministers this is usually the elected House of Commons rather than the House of Lords, since the start of Edward VIIs reign, in 1901, the prime minister has always been an elected member of Parliament and therefore directly accountable to the House of Commons. Under the British system the government is required by convention and for reasons to maintain the confidence of the House of Commons. It requires the support of the House of Commons for the maintenance of supply, by convention if a government loses the confidence of the House of Commons it must either resign or a General Election is held. The support of the Lords, while useful to the government in getting its legislation passed without delay, is not vital, a government is not required to resign even if it loses the confidence of the Lords and is defeated in key votes in that House. The House of Commons is thus the Responsible house, the prime minister is held to account during Prime Ministers Question Time which provides an opportunity for MPs from all parties to question the PM on any subject

21.
James Brokenshire
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James Peter Brokenshire PC MP is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as the Member of Parliament for Hornchurch from 2005 until the abolition under renewed boundaries at the 2010 general election. At this election, he was elected to the seat of Old Bexley and he has previously served as Minister for Security and Immigration at the Home Office. He currently serves as the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, born in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, Brokenshire studied law at the University of Exeter before beginning work with a large international law firm. Deciding on a career in politics, he stood successfully as the Conservative candidate for the constituency of Hornchurch in the 2005 general election. He was elected MP for the area in 2010, on a campaign devoted to preventing the closure of accident and emergency services at Queen Marys Hospital, Sidcup, in these two positions he oversaw the closure and privatisation of the Forensic Science Service and championed the Modern Slavery Bill. In February 2014, he was appointed Minister for Security and Immigration, in July 2016, under Theresa Mays new cabinet, he was appointed the Northern Ireland Secretary. Brokenshire was born on 8 January 1968, in the town of Southend-on-Sea and he was educated at Davenant Foundation Grammar School in Loughton and then at the Cambridge Centre for Sixth-form Studies. He went on to gain a degree in law at the University of Exeter, Brokenshire subsequently worked as a partner at international law firm Jones Day. In this position, he advised companies, businesses, and financial institutions on company law, mergers, acquisitions and he was first elected at the 2005 general election to the parliamentary constituency of Hornchurch, defeating the Labour candidate and incumbent member John Cryer by 480 votes. The election itself resulted in a third term for Prime Minister Tony Blair. From 2005-06, Brokenshire was a member of the House of Commons Constitutional Affairs Select Committee, from 2006-10 he then served as the Shadow Minister for Crime Reduction. Brokenshire was aware that his constituency, Hornchurch, was to be dissolved for the next election, in November 2006, he applied for selection as the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Witham in Essex, but he was defeated by Priti Patel. He simultaneously campaigned to be selected as Conservative candidate for the constituency of Hornchurch and Upminster and he next stood for Gillingham and Rainham in July 2007, Grantham and Stamford in October 2007, North East Cambridgeshire in January 2008, and Maidstone and The Weald later that same month. He was unsuccessful in all of these attempts and his competitors for the seat were Rebecca Harris, Katie Lindsay, and Julia Manning, and he was successful in gaining the selection for the seat in June 2008. This was the seat he applied to be a candidate for ahead of the 2010 election. As a result, he was accused of being a carpetbagger by a local single issue party. In the May 2010 general election, Brokenshire was elected for Old Bexley and Sidcup with 24,625 votes, beating the Labour candidate Rick Everitt, the hospitals A&E department was closed in November of the same year

22.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
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It alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all other political bodies in the UK and its territories. Its head is the Sovereign of the United Kingdom and its seat is the Palace of Westminster in the City of Westminster, one of the boroughs of the British capital, the parliament is bicameral, consisting of an upper house and a lower house. The Sovereign forms the third component of the legislature, prior to the opening of the Supreme Court in October 2009, the House of Lords also performed a judicial role through the Law Lords. The House of Commons is an elected chamber with elections held at least every five years. The two Houses meet in separate chambers in the Palace of Westminster in London, most cabinet ministers are from the Commons, whilst junior ministers can be from either House. The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Treaty of Union by Acts of Union passed by the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. The UK parliament and its institutions have set the pattern for many throughout the world. However, John Bright – who coined the epithet – used it with reference to a rather than a parliament. In theory, the UKs supreme legislative power is vested in the Crown-in-Parliament. However, the Crown normally acts on the advice of the Prime Minister, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was created in 1801, by the merger of the Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland under the Acts of Union. The principle of responsibility to the lower House did not develop until the 19th century—the House of Lords was superior to the House of Commons both in theory and in practice. Members of the House of Commons were elected in an electoral system. Thus, the borough of Old Sarum, with seven voters, many small constituencies, known as pocket or rotten boroughs, were controlled by members of the House of Lords, who could ensure the election of their relatives or supporters. During the reforms of the 19th century, beginning with the Reform Act 1832, No longer dependent on the Lords for their seats, MPs grew more assertive. The supremacy of the British House of Commons was established in the early 20th century, in 1909, the Commons passed the so-called Peoples Budget, which made numerous changes to the taxation system which were detrimental to wealthy landowners. The House of Lords, which consisted mostly of powerful landowners, on the basis of the Budgets popularity and the Lords consequent unpopularity, the Liberal Party narrowly won two general elections in 1910. Using the result as a mandate, the Liberal Prime Minister, Herbert Henry Asquith, introduced the Parliament Bill, in the face of such a threat, the House of Lords narrowly passed the bill. However, regardless of the Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949, the Government of Ireland Act 1920 created the parliaments of Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland and reduced the representation of both parts at Westminster

23.
Northern Ireland Grand Committee
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The Northern Ireland Grand Committee is one of four such grand committees in the United Kingdom Parliament. The other three are for Scotland, Wales and, as of October 2015, England, the membership of the committee includes all participating Northern Irish MPs, as well as up to 25 other MPs who are nominated by the Committee of Selection. The purpose of the committee is to read bills that are relevant to Northern Ireland before their second or third readings in Parliament and it also provides an opportunity for MPs to question ministers, debate current matters and for ministers to make statements. There are between three and six committee meetings per year, until recently, unlike its Scottish and Welsh counterparts, the Northern Ireland Grand Committee met at Westminster and never in Northern Ireland. However, the Democratic Unionist Party pressed for a meeting to place in Northern Ireland itself. The government agreed, and in December 2006 the first local meeting of the committee took place in the chamber at Belfast City Hall. The committee met again in Northern Ireland in September 2013, this time in the Senate Chamber at Parliament Buildings, Stormont

24.
European Union
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The European Union is a political and economic union of 28 member states that are located primarily in Europe. It has an area of 4,475,757 km2, the EU has developed an internal single market through a standardised system of laws that apply in all member states. Within the Schengen Area, passport controls have been abolished, a monetary union was established in 1999 and came into full force in 2002, and is composed of 19 EU member states which use the euro currency. The EU operates through a system of supranational and intergovernmental decision-making. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community, the community and its successors have grown in size by the accession of new member states and in power by the addition of policy areas to its remit. While no member state has left the EU or its antecedent organisations, the Maastricht Treaty established the European Union in 1993 and introduced European citizenship. The latest major amendment to the basis of the EU. The EU as a whole is the largest economy in the world, additionally,27 out of 28 EU countries have a very high Human Development Index, according to the United Nations Development Programme. In 2012, the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, through the Common Foreign and Security Policy, the EU has developed a role in external relations and defence. The union maintains permanent diplomatic missions throughout the world and represents itself at the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the G7, because of its global influence, the European Union has been described as an emerging superpower. After World War II, European integration was seen as an antidote to the nationalism which had devastated the continent. 1952 saw the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community, the supporters of the Community included Alcide De Gasperi, Jean Monnet, Robert Schuman, and Paul-Henri Spaak. These men and others are credited as the Founding fathers of the European Union. In 1957, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany signed the Treaty of Rome and they also signed another pact creating the European Atomic Energy Community for co-operation in developing nuclear energy. Both treaties came into force in 1958, the EEC and Euratom were created separately from the ECSC, although they shared the same courts and the Common Assembly. The EEC was headed by Walter Hallstein and Euratom was headed by Louis Armand, Euratom was to integrate sectors in nuclear energy while the EEC would develop a customs union among members. During the 1960s, tensions began to show, with France seeking to limit supranational power, Jean Rey presided over the first merged Commission. In 1973, the Communities enlarged to include Denmark, Ireland, Norway had negotiated to join at the same time, but Norwegian voters rejected membership in a referendum

25.
Local government in Northern Ireland
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Northern Ireland is divided into 11 districts for local government purposes. Their functions include waste and recycling services, leisure and community services, building control and local economic and they are not planning authorities, but are consulted on some planning applications. The collection of rates is handled by the Land and Property Services agency, the current pattern of 11 local government districts was established on 1 April 2015, as a result of the reform process that started in 2005. The system was based on the recommendations of the Macrory Report, of June 1970, from 1921 to 1973, Northern Ireland was divided into six administrative counties and two county boroughs. The counties and county continue to exist for the purposes of lieutenancy. This system, with the abolition of districts, remains the model for local government in the Republic of Ireland. Councillors are elected for a term of office under the single transferable vote system. Elections were last held in May 2014, to qualify for election, a councillor candidate must be, at least 18 years of age, and a Commonwealth of Nations or European Union citizen. The districts are combined for various purposes, in the Eurostat Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics, Northern Ireland is divided into five parts at level 3 There were five education and library boards in Northern Ireland. As part of the Review of Public Administration process, the functions of the ELBs were taken over by a new body. The education and skills functions were centralised into a single Education Authority for Northern Ireland in April 2015, the boards were as follows, There were four health and social services boards which were replaced by a single Health and Social Care Board in April 2009. Among its recommendations were a reduction in the number of districts, in 2005 Peter Hain, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, announced proposals to reduce the number of councils to seven. The names and boundaries of the seven districts were announced in March 2007, in March 2008 the restored Northern Executive agreed to create eleven new councils instead of the original seven. The first elections were due to place in May 2011. However, by May 2010 disagreements among parties in the executive over district boundaries were expected to delay the reforms until 2015, in June 2010 the proposed reforms were abandoned following the failure of the Northern Ireland Executive to reach agreement. However, on 12 March 2012, the Northern Ireland Executive published its programme for government, which included a commitment to reduce the number of councils in Northern Ireland to 11

26.
Administrative divisions of Northern Ireland
–
Northern Ireland is divided into 11 districts for local government purposes. Their functions include waste and recycling services, leisure and community services, building control and local economic and they are not planning authorities, but are consulted on some planning applications. The collection of rates is handled by the Land and Property Services agency, the current pattern of 11 local government districts was established on 1 April 2015, as a result of the reform process that started in 2005. The system was based on the recommendations of the Macrory Report, of June 1970, from 1921 to 1973, Northern Ireland was divided into six administrative counties and two county boroughs. The counties and county continue to exist for the purposes of lieutenancy. This system, with the abolition of districts, remains the model for local government in the Republic of Ireland. Councillors are elected for a term of office under the single transferable vote system. Elections were last held in May 2014, to qualify for election, a councillor candidate must be, at least 18 years of age, and a Commonwealth of Nations or European Union citizen. The districts are combined for various purposes, in the Eurostat Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics, Northern Ireland is divided into five parts at level 3 There were five education and library boards in Northern Ireland. As part of the Review of Public Administration process, the functions of the ELBs were taken over by a new body. The education and skills functions were centralised into a single Education Authority for Northern Ireland in April 2015, the boards were as follows, There were four health and social services boards which were replaced by a single Health and Social Care Board in April 2009. Among its recommendations were a reduction in the number of districts, in 2005 Peter Hain, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, announced proposals to reduce the number of councils to seven. The names and boundaries of the seven districts were announced in March 2007, in March 2008 the restored Northern Executive agreed to create eleven new councils instead of the original seven. The first elections were due to place in May 2011. However, by May 2010 disagreements among parties in the executive over district boundaries were expected to delay the reforms until 2015, in June 2010 the proposed reforms were abandoned following the failure of the Northern Ireland Executive to reach agreement. However, on 12 March 2012, the Northern Ireland Executive published its programme for government, which included a commitment to reduce the number of councils in Northern Ireland to 11

27.
Counties of Northern Ireland
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In total Northern Ireland consisted of six counties, Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone. These form two-thirds of the province of Ulster. The number has been used in the designation The Six Counties as an Irish-nationalist alternative name for Northern Ireland, the English administration in Ireland in the years following the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland created counties as the major subdivisions of an Irish province. Though the present-day counties of Northern Ireland were planned in the early 16th century, each county would have an associated county town, with county courts of Quarter Sessions and Assizes. The counties of Antrim and Down have their origins in the Norman Earldom of Ulster which was based on John de Courcys conquest of Ulaid. Between the late 13th and early 14th centuries it was organised into shires based around centres of Norman power such as Antrim, Carrickfergus. The Bruce invasion saw the devastation of the Earldom of Ulster and it was not until the reign of Queen Elizabeth I that Ulster would be shired into more counties, based largely on the boundaries of existing lordships. In 1584, Lord Deputy of Ireland Sir John Perrott created the counties in what is now Northern Ireland, Armagh, Coleraine, Fermanagh. Carrickfergus would retain its status as a county town until 1777 when it was merged with County Antrim, each county was divided into a number of baronies, a midway between a county and a parish. Baronies are now administrative units, partially derived from the territory of an Irish chieftain. The Grand Jury representment system would also be based on the barony, the counties were also used as the administrative unit of local government introduced in Ireland under the 1898 Local Government Act along with county boroughs. In regards to Northern Ireland the cities of Belfast and Londonderry became county boroughs, the counties and county boroughs in terms of governance where abolished in Northern Ireland in 1972 and replaced with twenty-six unitary councils, many of which cross county boundaries. The six administrative counties and two county boroughs remain in use for some purposes, including car number plates, the six counties were also used as postal counties by the Royal Mail for sorting purposes until their abolition in 1996. Outside government, the counties are used for cultural purposes. Like the rest of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland is divided into lieutenancy areas and these are areas that have an appointed Lord Lieutenant—the representative of the British monarch. Northern Ireland has eight areas, Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone, County of Londonderry, City of Londonderry. These are contiguous with the six counties and two county boroughs, established by the 1898 Local Government Act. Carrickfergus was formerly a county of itself, it extended further than the borough of Carrickfergus

28.
Politics of the United Kingdom
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The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The highest court is the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, the UK political system is a multi-party system. Since the 1920s, the two largest political participation have been the Conservative Party and the Labour Party, before the Labour Party rose in British politics, the Liberal Party was the other major political party along with the Conservatives. A Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government held office from 2010 until 2015, with the partition of Ireland, Northern Ireland received home rule in 1920, though civil unrest meant direct rule was restored in 1972. Support for nationalist parties in Scotland and Wales led to proposals for devolution in the 1970s though only in the 1990s did devolution actually happen. Today, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each possess a legislature and executive, the United Kingdom government remains responsible for non-devolved matters and, in the case of Northern Ireland, co-operates with the government of the Republic of Ireland. It is a matter of dispute as to increased autonomy. A2014 referendum on independence led to a rejection of the proposal, in Northern Ireland, a smaller percentage vote for Irish nationalist parties. The constitution of the United Kingdom is uncodified, being made up of constitutional conventions, statutes and this system of government, known as the Westminster system, has been adopted by other countries, especially those that were formerly parts of the British Empire. The British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II, is the chief of state of the United Kingdom, though she takes little direct part in government, the Crown remains the fount in which ultimate executive power over government lies. The head of Her Majestys Government, the minister, also has weekly meetings with the sovereign. In practice, this means that the leader of the party with an absolute majority of seats in the House of Commons is chosen to be the Prime Minister. If no party has a majority, the leader of the largest party is given the first opportunity to form a coalition. The Prime Minister then selects the other Ministers which make up the Government, about twenty of the most senior government ministers make up the Cabinet and approximately 100 ministers in total comprise the government. In accordance with convention, all ministers within the government are either Members of Parliament or peers in the House of Lords. In practice, members of parliament of all parties are strictly controlled by whips who try to ensure they vote according to party policy. If the government has a majority, then they are very unlikely to lose enough votes to be unable to pass legislation. The Prime Minister is the most senior minister in the Cabinet and they are responsible for chairing Cabinet meetings, selecting Cabinet ministers, and formulating government policy

29.
Constitution of the United Kingdom
–
The constitution of the United Kingdom is the sum of laws and principles that make up the body politic of the United Kingdom. It concerns both the relationship between the individual and the state, and the functioning of the legislature, the executive, the UK does not have one specific constitutional document. Instead the constitution is found within a variety of written and some unwritten sources and this is sometimes referred to as an unwritten or uncodified constitution. The British constitution primarily draws from four sources, statute law, common law, parliamentary conventions and it follows that Parliament can change the constitution simply by passing new statutes through Acts of Parliament. Acts of Parliament are bills which have received the approval of Parliament – that is, the Monarch, the House of Lords, on rare occasions, the House of Commons uses the Parliament Acts to pass legislation without the approval of the House of Lords. Acts of Parliament are among the most important sources of the constitution, according to the traditional view, Parliament has the power to legislate however it wishes on any subject it wishes. For example, most of the medieval statute known as Magna Carta has been repealed since 1828. It has traditionally been the case that the courts are barred from questioning any Act of Parliament, on the other hand, this principle has not been without its dissidents and critics over the centuries, and attitudes among the judiciary in this area may be changing. This part of his judgment was obiter – and, indeed, was controversial and it remains to be seen whether the doctrine will be accepted by other judges. Treaties do not, on ratification, automatically become incorporated into UK law, important treaties have been incorporated into domestic law by means of Acts of Parliament. The European Convention on Human Rights, for example, was given further effect into domestic law through the preamble of the Human Rights Act 1998, also, the Treaty of Union of 1707 was important in creating the unitary state which exists today. The treaty was between the governments of England and Scotland and was put into effect by two Acts of Union which were passed by the Parliaments of both nations. The Treaty, along with the subsequent Acts, brought into existence the Kingdom of Great Britain, uniting the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland. Common law legal systems exist in Northern Ireland and in England and Wales, Court judgments also commonly form a source of the constitution, generally speaking in English Law, judgments of the higher courts form precedents or case law that binds lower courts and judges. However Scots Law does not accord the status to precedent. Historically important court judgments include those in the Case of Proclamations, many British constitutional conventions are ancient in origin, though others date from within living memory. Works of authority is the name for works that are sometimes cited as interpretations of aspects of the UK constitution. Most are works written by 19th or early 20th century constitutionalists, in particular A. V. Dicey, Walter Bagehot and these pillars are the principle of Parliamentary sovereignty and the rule of law

30.
Cabinet Manual
–
The Cabinet Manual is a government document in the United Kingdom which sets out the main laws, rules and conventions affecting the conduct and operation of the Government of the United Kingdom. It was written by Her Majestys Civil Service, led by Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus ODonnell, the wording and appearance of the document resembles that of a written constitution. The writing of the Manual was originally initiated by Gordon Brown as part of his plan to establish a written constitution for the UK. The Manual does not need to be approved by Parliament. The United Kingdom has no single constitutional document, the UK constitution also has several unwritten sources in the form of constitutional conventions. Sir Gus and his team in the Cabinet Office travelled to New Zealand, following recommendations by the Parliamentary Committees, a finalised version was published in October 2011 with forewords by David Cameron and Sir Gus ODonnell

31.
Erskine May: Parliamentary Practice
–
Erskine May, Parliamentary Practice is a parliamentary authority originally written by British constitutional theorist and Clerk of the House of Commons, Thomas Erskine May. Since its first publication in 1844, the book has frequently been updated with Erskine May editing nine editions of the book in his lifetime, updates have continued into the present day, the 24th edition was published on 30 June 2011. The work has been influential outside the United Kingdom, particularly in countries which use the Westminster system, book I, Constitution, Powers, and Privileges of Parliament. Chapter II, Power and Jurisdiction of Parliament collectively, rights and Power of each of its constituent parts. Chapter III, General view of the Privileges of Parliament, Power of commitment by both Houses for Breaches of Privilege, causes of commitment cannot be inquired into by Courts of Law, nor the prisoners admitted to bail. Acts construed as Breaches of Privilege, different punishments inflicted by the two Houses. Chapter IV, Privilege of Freedom of Speech confirmed by the ancient law of Parliament and by statute, its nature, chapter V, Freedom from Arrest or Molestation, its antiquity, limits, and mode of enforcement. Privilege of not being impleaded in civil actions, of not being liable to be summoned by subpoena or to serve on juries, commitment of Members by Courts of Justice. Privilege of witnesses and others in attendance on Parliament, chapter VI, Jurisdiction of Courts of Law in matters of Privilege. Book II, Practice and Proceedings in Parliament, election and Royal Approbation of the Speaker of the Commons. Queens Speech, and Addresses in answer, places of Peers and Members of the House of Commons. Attendance on the service of Parliament, office of Speaker in both Houses. Questions superseded by Adjournment, or by reading the Orders of the Day, chapter IX, Amendments to Questions, and Amendments to proposed Amendments. Chapter X, The same Question or Bill may not be offered in a Session. Chapter XI, Rules of Debate, Manner and time of speaking, Rules and orders to be observed by Members in speaking, mode of dividing in both Houses. Chapter XIII, Committees of the whole House, General rules of proceeding, Chairman, Motions and Debate, chapter XIV, Appointment, Constitution, Powers and Proceedings of Select Committees in both Houses. Chapter XV, Witnesses, Modes of Summons and Examination, Administration of Oaths, chapter XVI, Communications between the Lords and Commons, Messages and Conferences, Joint Committees, and Committees communicating with each other. Chapter XVII, Communications from the Crown to Parliament, Their forms and character, How acknowledged, Addresses to the Crown, Messages to Members of the Royal Family, chapter XVIII, Proceedings of Parliament in passing Public Bills, Their several stages in both Houses

32.
Taxation in the United Kingdom
–
Taxation in the United Kingdom may involve payments to a minimum of three different levels of government, the central government, devolved national governments and local government. Central government revenues come primarily from income tax, National Insurance contributions, value added tax, corporation tax and fuel duty. In the fiscal year 2014–15, total government revenue was forecast to be £648 billion, or 37.7 per cent of GDP, with net taxes and National Insurance contributions standing at £606 billion. A uniform Land tax, originally was introduced in England during the late 17th century, formed the source of government revenue throughout the 18th century. Income tax was announced in Britain by William Pitt the Younger in his budget of December 1798 and introduced in 1799, to pay for weapons and equipment in preparation for the Napoleonic Wars. Pitts new graduated income tax began at a levy of 2 old pence in the pound on incomes over £60, Pitt hoped that the new income tax would raise £10 million but receipts for 1799 totalled just over £6 million. Income tax was levied under five schedules, Income not falling within those schedules was not taxed. The schedules were, Schedule A Schedule B Schedule C Schedule D Schedule E Later, pitts income tax was levied from 1799 to 1802, when it was abolished by Henry Addington during the Peace of Amiens. Addington had taken over as minister in 1801. The income tax was reintroduced by Addington in 1803 when hostilities recommenced but it was abolished in 1816. Considerable controversy was aroused by the malt, house and windows, the malt tax was easy to collect from brewers, even after it was reduced in 1822, it produced over 10 percent of governments annual revenues through the 1840s. The house tax mostly hit London town houses, the windows tax mostly hit country manors, the income tax was reintroduced by Sir Robert Peel in the Income Tax Act 1842. Peel, as a Conservative, had opposed income tax in the 1841 general election, the new income tax of 7d in the pound, based on Addingtons model, was imposed on incomes above £150. The war was financed by borrowing large sums at home and abroad, by new taxes and it was implicitly financed by postponing maintenance and repair, and canceling unneeded projects. The government avoided indirect taxes because they raised the cost of living, there was a strong emphasis on being “fair” and being “scientific. ”The public generally supported the heavy new taxes, with minimal complaints. The Treasury rejected proposals for a capital levy, which the Labour Party wanted to use to weaken the capitalists. Instead, there was an excess profits tax, of 50 percent of profits above the prewar level. Excise taxes were added on luxury imports such as automobiles, clocks, there was no sales tax or value added tax

33.
The Crown
–
The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their sub-divisions, although the term is not only a metonym for the State. The Crown is a sole that represents the legal embodiment of executive, legislative. These monarchies are united by the union of their monarch. The concept of the Crown developed first in the Kingdom of England as a separation of the crown and property of the nation state from the person. The concept spread through English and later British colonisation and is now rooted in the lexicon of the other 15 independent realms. In this context it should not be confused with any physical crown, the concept of the Crown took form under the feudal system. Though not used this way in all countries that had this system, in England, all rights, land, for instance, was granted by the Crown to lords in exchange for feudal services and they, in turn, granted the land to lesser lords. One exception to this was common socage—owners of land held as socage held it only to the Crown. The Crown as ultimate owner of all property also owns any property which has become bona vacantia, the monarch is the living embodiment of the Crown and, as such, is regarded as the personification of the state. He office cannot exist without the office-holder, the Crown also represents the legal embodiment of executive, legislative, and judicial governance. While the Crowns legal personality is usually regarded as a sole, it can, at least for some purposes. Historically, the Crown was considered to be indivisible, two judgments—Ex parte Indian Association of Alberta and Ex parte Quark —challenged that view. The Crown in each of the Commonwealth realms is a similar, because both Canada and Australia are federations, there are also crowns in right of each Canadian province and each Australian state. The Succession to the Crown Law 2013 defined the Crown, for the purposes of implementing the Perth Agreement in Jersey law, as the Crown in right of the Bailiwick of Jersey. Legislation in the Isle of Man also defines the Crown in right of the Isle of Man as being separate from the Crown in right of the United Kingdom and this constitutional concept is also worded as the Crown in right of the Bailiwick of Guernsey. The reserve powers of the Crown for each territory are no longer considered to be exercisable on the advice of the UK government, often cases are brought by the Crown according to the complaint of a claimant. The title of the case follows the pattern of R v Y. Thus R v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union is R v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, where Miller is Gina Miller, in Scotland, criminal prosecutions are undertaken by the Lord Advocate in the name of the Crown

34.
Monarchy of the United Kingdom
–
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom, its dependencies and its overseas territories. The monarchs title is King or Queen, the current monarch and head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, ascended the throne on the death of her father, King George VI, on 6 February 1952. The monarch and his or her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial, diplomatic, as the monarchy is constitutional, the monarch is limited to non-partisan functions such as bestowing honours and appointing the Prime Minister. The monarch is, by tradition, commander-in-chief of the British Armed Forces, from 1603, when the Scottish monarch King James VI inherited the English throne as James I, both the English and Scottish kingdoms were ruled by a single sovereign. From 1649 to 1660, the tradition of monarchy was broken by the republican Commonwealth of England, the Act of Settlement 1701 excluded Roman Catholics, or those who married Catholics, from succession to the English throne. In 1707, the kingdoms of England and Scotland were merged to create the Kingdom of Great Britain, and in 1801, the British monarch became nominal head of the vast British Empire, which covered a quarter of the worlds surface at its greatest extent in 1921. After the Second World War, the vast majority of British colonies and territories became independent, George VI and his successor, Elizabeth II, adopted the title Head of the Commonwealth as a symbol of the free association of its independent member states. The United Kingdom and fifteen other Commonwealth monarchies that share the person as their monarch are called Commonwealth realms. In the uncodified Constitution of the United Kingdom, the Monarch is the Head of State, oaths of allegiance are made to the Queen and her lawful successors. God Save the Queen is the British national anthem, and the monarch appears on postage stamps, coins, the Monarch takes little direct part in Government. Executive power is exercised by Her Majestys Government, which comprises Ministers, primarily the Prime Minister and the Cabinet and they have the direction of the Armed Forces of the Crown, the Civil Service and other Crown Servants such as the Diplomatic and Secret Services. Judicial power is vested in the Judiciary, who by constitution, the Church of England, of which the Monarch is the head, has its own legislative, judicial and executive structures. Powers independent of government are legally granted to public bodies by statute or Statutory Instrument such as an Order in Council. The Sovereigns role as a monarch is largely limited to non-partisan functions. This role has been recognised since the 19th century, the constitutional writer Walter Bagehot identified the monarchy in 1867 as the dignified part rather than the efficient part of government. Whenever necessary, the Monarch is responsible for appointing a new Prime Minister, the Prime Minister takes office by attending the Monarch in private audience, and after kissing hands that appointment is immediately effective without any other formality or instrument. Since 1945, there have only been two hung parliaments, the first followed the February 1974 general election when Harold Wilson was appointed Prime Minister after Edward Heath resigned following his failure to form a coalition. Although Wilsons Labour Party did not have a majority, they were the largest party, the second followed the May 2010 general election, in which the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats agreed to form the first coalition government since World War II

Her Majesty's Government
–
Her Majestys Government, commonly referred to as the UK government or British government, is the central government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The government is led by the Prime Minister, who all the remaining ministers. The prime minister and the other most senior ministers belong to the supreme decision-making co

1.
Main entrance of 10 Downing Street, the residence and offices of the First Lord of HM Treasury

Karen Bradley
–
Karen Anne Bradley PC MP is a British Conservative Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Staffordshire Moorlands, elected at the 2010 general election. In Theresa Mays first cabinet reshuffle in July 2016, Bradley became Secretary of State for Culture, Media, previously, since February 2014, she had served as a junior Home Office minist

1.
Bradley at the UK-Caribbean Ministerial Forum in June 2014

Northern Ireland Office
–
The Northern Ireland Office is a UK government department responsible for Northern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and is based at Stormont House in Belfast and 1 Horse Guards Road in London, before the partition, Ireland was governed through the Dublin Castle administration and the Home Office was als

1.
Northern Ireland Office

Official residence
–
An official residence is the residence at which a nations head of state, head of government, governor or other senior figure officially resides. It may or may not be the location where the individual conducts work-related functions or lives. This has occurred in the 21st century in Detroit and New York City, in the case of Denver, no mayor has ever

1.
Vale Royal is the official residence of the Prime Minister of Jamaica

2.
Palais Kosyam in Ouagadougou

3.
24 Sussex Drive, Official Residence of the Canadian Prime Minister

4.
The southeast view of Government House in Victoria, BC

Hillsborough Castle
–
Hillsborough Castle is an official government residence in Northern Ireland. From 1924 until the abolition in 1973, it was the official residence of the Governor of Northern Ireland. Since April 2014, it has been managed by Historic Royal Palaces, Hillsborough Castle, which is located in the village of Hillsborough in north-west County Down, is not

1.
The official entrance of Hillsborough Castle

2.
Guests leaving Hillsborough Castle to walk through its grounds.

3.
American President George W. Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern at Hillsborough Castle on 8 April 2003.

Elizabeth II
–
Elizabeth II has been Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand since 6 February 1952. Elizabeth was born in London as the eldest child of the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and her father acceded to the throne on the abdication of his brother Edward VIII in 1936, from which time she was the

1.
The Queen in March 2015

2.
Princess Elizabeth aged 3, April 1929

3.
Princess Elizabeth aged 7, painted by Philip de László, 1933

4.
Elizabeth in Auxiliary Territorial Service uniform, April 1945

Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
–
Lord Lieutenant was the title of the chief governor of Ireland from the Williamite Wars of 1690 till the Partition of Ireland in 1922. This spanned the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain, the office, under its various names, was often more generally known as the viceroy, from the French vice roi or deputy king, and his wife

1.
The Viceregal Apartments in Dublin Castle – the official 'season' residence of the Lord Lieutenant

2.
Standard of the Lord Lieutenant

3.
The Viceregal pew in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin

Governor of Northern Ireland
–
The Governor of Northern Ireland was the principal officer and representative in Northern Ireland of the British monarch. The office was established on 9 December 1922 and abolished on 18 July 1973, the Governor had possession of the Great Seal of Northern Ireland. The Governor was the successor to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in Northern Ireland

1.
3.

2.
Flag of the Governor of Northern Ireland

William Whitelaw
–
Whitelaw was born at the family estate, Monklaw, at Nairn, in northeast Scotland. He never knew his father, William Alexander Whitelaw, a member of a Scottish landed gentry family and his grandmother Dorothy was the niece of the former Prime Minister and author Benjamin Disraeli. Whitelaw was educated first at Wixenford School, Wokingham, before pa

1.
The Right Honourable The Viscount Whitelaw KT CH MC PC DL

2.
The grave of William Whitelaw

Northern Ireland
–
Northern Ireland is a constituent unit of the United Kingdom in the north-east of Ireland. It is variously described as a country, province, region, or part of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland shares a border to the south and west with the Republic of Ireland. In 2011, its population was 1,810,863, constituting about 30% of the total population

Politics of Northern Ireland
–
Since 1998, Northern Ireland has devolved government within the United Kingdom. The government and Parliament of the United Kingdom are responsible for reserved and excepted matters, reserved matters are a list of policy area, which the Westminster Parliament may devolve to the Northern Ireland Assembly at some time in future. Excepted matters are

1.
Parliament Buildings at Stormont, Belfast, seat of the assembly

2.
Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Executive
–
The Northern Ireland Executive is the devolved government of Northern Ireland, an administrative branch of the legislature Northern Ireland Assembly. It is answerable to the Assembly and was established according to the terms of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, the executive is referred to in the legislation as the Executive Committee of the Assembly

1.
Stormont Castle, seat of the Executive

2.
Northern Ireland

3.
Dundonald House, home to various government agencies

First Minister and deputy First Minister
–
The First Minister and deputy First Minister are the joint heads of the Northern Ireland Executive and have overall responsibility for the running of the Executive Office. The two positions have the same power, despite the name, the deputy First Minister is not subordinate to the First Minister. The First Minister and deputy First Minister share eq

Northern Ireland Civil Service
–
The Northern Ireland Civil Service, is the permanent bureaucracy of employees that supports the Northern Ireland Executive, the devolved government of Northern Ireland. The NICS is one of three services in the United Kingdom, the others being the Home Civil Service and HM Diplomatic Service. The heads of these services are members of the Permanent

1.
Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Assembly
–
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It sits at Parliament Buildings at Stormont in Belfast, the Assembly is one of two mutually inter-dependent institutions created under the 1998 Good Fr

Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly
–
The Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly is the presiding officer of the Northern Ireland Assembly, elected on a cross-community vote by the Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly. A Principal Deputy Speaker and two Deputy Speakers are elected to fulfil the role. The office of Speaker is currently held by DUP MLA, Robin Newton, the Office of

2.
The Royal Arms of the United Kingdom appear on all published copies of Acts passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
–
The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom is the supreme court in all matters under English and Welsh law, Northern Ireland law and Scottish civil law. It is the court of last resort and the highest appellate court in the United Kingdom, the Supreme Court was established by Part 3 of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and started work on 1 October 20

1.
The Middlesex Guildhall in London is the location of the Supreme Court

2.
Badge of the Supreme Court

3.
Court 1 in the Supreme Court building

4.
Justices

Courts of Northern Ireland
–
The courts of Northern Ireland are the civil and criminal courts responsible for the administration of justice in Northern Ireland, they are constituted and governed by Northern Ireland law. The United Kingdom does not have a unified judicial system, England and Wales have one system, Scotland another. Additionally, the Military Court Service has j

1.
The Royal Courts of Justice, Belfast

2.
Northern Ireland

3.
Downpatrick Courthouse, August 2009

United Kingdom
–
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country in western Europe. Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland, the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border wi

1.
Stonehenge, in Wiltshire, was erected around 2500 BC.

2.
Flag

3.
The Bayeux Tapestry depicts the Battle of Hastings, 1066, and the events leading to it.

4.
The Treaty of Union led to a single united kingdom encompassing all Great Britain.

Government of the United Kingdom
–
Her Majestys Government, commonly referred to as the UK government or British government, is the central government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The government is led by the Prime Minister, who all the remaining ministers. The prime minister and the other most senior ministers belong to the supreme decision-making co

1.
Main entrance of 10 Downing Street, the residence and offices of the First Lord of HM Treasury

James Brokenshire
–
James Peter Brokenshire PC MP is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as the Member of Parliament for Hornchurch from 2005 until the abolition under renewed boundaries at the 2010 general election. At this election, he was elected to the seat of Old Bexley and he has previously served as Minister for Security and Immi

1.
The Right Honourable James Brokenshire MP

Parliament of the United Kingdom
–
It alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all other political bodies in the UK and its territories. Its head is the Sovereign of the United Kingdom and its seat is the Palace of Westminster in the City of Westminster, one of the boroughs of the British capital, the parliament is bicameral, consisting of an upper house

3.
Parliament at night, with the London Eye visible at right

4.
Leading 17th century Parliamentarian John Hampden is one of the Five Members annually commemorated

Northern Ireland Grand Committee
–
The Northern Ireland Grand Committee is one of four such grand committees in the United Kingdom Parliament. The other three are for Scotland, Wales and, as of October 2015, England, the membership of the committee includes all participating Northern Irish MPs, as well as up to 25 other MPs who are nominated by the Committee of Selection. The purpos

European Union
–
The European Union is a political and economic union of 28 member states that are located primarily in Europe. It has an area of 4,475,757 km2, the EU has developed an internal single market through a standardised system of laws that apply in all member states. Within the Schengen Area, passport controls have been abolished, a monetary union was es

1.
In 1989, the Iron Curtain fell, enabling the union to expand further (Berlin Wall pictured).

Local government in Northern Ireland
–
Northern Ireland is divided into 11 districts for local government purposes. Their functions include waste and recycling services, leisure and community services, building control and local economic and they are not planning authorities, but are consulted on some planning applications. The collection of rates is handled by the Land and Property Ser

1.
Parts of this article (those related to <topic>) are outdated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. Last update: 2011 (May 2014)

2.
Northern Ireland

Administrative divisions of Northern Ireland
–
Northern Ireland is divided into 11 districts for local government purposes. Their functions include waste and recycling services, leisure and community services, building control and local economic and they are not planning authorities, but are consulted on some planning applications. The collection of rates is handled by the Land and Property Ser

1.
Parts of this article (those related to <topic>) are outdated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. Last update: 2011 (May 2014)

2.
Northern Ireland

Counties of Northern Ireland
–
In total Northern Ireland consisted of six counties, Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone. These form two-thirds of the province of Ulster. The number has been used in the designation The Six Counties as an Irish-nationalist alternative name for Northern Ireland, the English administration in Ireland in the years following the An

1.
Counties of Northern Ireland Contaetha Thuaisceart Éireann (Irish)

Politics of the United Kingdom
–
The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The highest court is the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, the UK political system is a multi-party system. Since the 1920s, the two largest political participation have been the Conservative Party and the Labour Party, before the Labour Party rose in British politics, the Libera

1.
Parliament meets at the Palace of Westminster

2.
United Kingdom

3.
The Scottish Parliament Building in Holyrood, Edinburgh, seat of the Scottish Parliament.

4.
The debating chamber of the Scottish Parliament.

Constitution of the United Kingdom
–
The constitution of the United Kingdom is the sum of laws and principles that make up the body politic of the United Kingdom. It concerns both the relationship between the individual and the state, and the functioning of the legislature, the executive, the UK does not have one specific constitutional document. Instead the constitution is found with

1.
Claude Monet 's depiction of the smog-filled air near Westminster Bridge in 1903, half a century before the Clean Air Act 1956.

2.
United Kingdom

3.
One of several shelves full of books about the UK constitution at a law library

4.
Parliamentary sovereignty means judges cannot invalidate legislation. But in practice the UK consents to British and European courts to review legislation to comply with international standards under the Human Rights Act 1998, and consents to follow EU law under the European Communities Act 1972.

Cabinet Manual
–
The Cabinet Manual is a government document in the United Kingdom which sets out the main laws, rules and conventions affecting the conduct and operation of the Government of the United Kingdom. It was written by Her Majestys Civil Service, led by Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus ODonnell, the wording and appearance of the document resembles that of a wri

1.
United Kingdom

Erskine May: Parliamentary Practice
–
Erskine May, Parliamentary Practice is a parliamentary authority originally written by British constitutional theorist and Clerk of the House of Commons, Thomas Erskine May. Since its first publication in 1844, the book has frequently been updated with Erskine May editing nine editions of the book in his lifetime, updates have continued into the pr

1.
24th edition

2.
1st edition

Taxation in the United Kingdom
–
Taxation in the United Kingdom may involve payments to a minimum of three different levels of government, the central government, devolved national governments and local government. Central government revenues come primarily from income tax, National Insurance contributions, value added tax, corporation tax and fuel duty. In the fiscal year 2014–15

1.
Tax revenues as a percentage of GDP for the UK in comparison to the OECD and the EU 15.

2.
Taxation in the United Kingdom

3.
UK corporate tax revenue as a percentage of GDP compared to the OECD and the EU 15.

The Crown
–
The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their sub-divisions, although the term is not only a metonym for the State. The Crown is a sole that represents the legal embodiment of executive, legislative. These monarchies are united by the union of their monarch. The concept of the Crown develope

1.
Australia

Monarchy of the United Kingdom
–
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom, its dependencies and its overseas territories. The monarchs title is King or Queen, the current monarch and head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, ascended the throne on the death of her father, King George VI, on 6 Fe

1.
Queen of the United Kingdom

2.
Royal coat of arms

3.
The English Bill of Rights of 1689 curtailed the monarch's governmental power.

1.
The throne constructed in 1296, sometimes called the "Coronation Chair" or " King Edward's Chair ", for 700 years used for the coronation of monarchs of England, of Great Britain, and of the United Kingdom.

2.
Charles, Prince of Wales, has been first in the line of succession since 1952.

3.
Henry VII, King by right of Conquest

4.
After the death of her last child in 1700, Princess Anne became the last individual left in the line of succession determined by the Bill of Rights.

3.
Late in the 17th century Treasury Ministers began to attend the Commons regularly. They were given a reserved place, called the Treasury Bench, to the Speaker's right where the Prime Minister and senior Cabinet members sit today

4.
Portrait of Sir Robert Walpole, studio of Jean-Baptiste van Loo, 1740. Walpole is considered to have been Britain's first Prime Minister.

1.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip descend, saluted by footmen, from the Australian State Coach to be greeted by the Lord Great Chamberlain (The 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley) at the State Opening of Parliament on 18 November 2009

2.
United Kingdom

3.
King Edward VIII surrounded by heralds of the College of Arms on his only State Opening of Parliament, on 3 November 1936

4.
Leading 17th century parliamentarian John Hampden is one of the Five Members annually commemorated

1.
Subdivisions of England (as of 2010) that have a principal local authority: two-tier non-metropolitan counties and their non-metropolitan districts; metropolitan boroughs; unitary authorities; London boroughs; and the sui generis City of London and Isles of Scilly.